Highlanders kick off season with win over Warriors, 48-37
Published 6:25 pm Wednesday, December 4, 2024
Ron Marvel/Star Correspondent Zack Rose looks for a score with a Highlander defender over his back.
Ron Marvel/Star Correspondent Nick Caraway shields the ball from a defender to score two of his seven points on the night.
Ron Marvel/Star Correspondent Highlander Cooper Smith sets up for a short jumper.
Ron Marvel/Star Correspondent The Highlanders’ Nick Caraway takes a one-handed push shot in the second period.
Ron Marvel/Star Correspondent Warriors guard Colby Cash looks to move the ball up the court.
Ron Marvel/Star Correspondent Highlander Regan Blair looks for a cutting player as Cloudland moves the ball along the perimeter.
Ron Marvel/Star Correspondent Happy Valley’s Aubree Whitehead dribbles upcourt while Lady Highlander Layken Blair applies defensive pressure.
Ron Marvel/Star Correspondent The Highlander cheerleaders try to get the Roan Mountain crowd to their feet.
Ron Marvel/Star Correspondent Jayla Harper pushes past the Warriors’ defense for a layup attempt.
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By Ron Marvel
Star Correspondent
First-year Cloudland boys basketball coach Cody McClain earned his first high school win Tuesday night, though it wasn’t easy, as a feisty Happy Valley team fought until the final buzzer.
Highlander Bryce Birchfield got his squad on the board early with a layup to give his team the early lead. Trailing 11-2, Warrior Zack Rose grabbed a loose ball and drove hard to the rim, drawing a foul and completing a three-point play to cut the Highlanders’ lead to 11-5. Cooper Smith hit a long 3-pointer to push the lead back out to 10 points, ending the period at 17-7.
The Warriors clawed back into the contest, breaking through the Highlanders’ press and finding Ron Paul Parker under the bucket to cut the lead to 17-9. Happy Valley continued chipping away at Cloudland’s lead as Parker found Grady Goulds on the baseline for an easy bucket, trimming the lead to four at the 1:55 mark of the second period.
Leading by two, the Highlanders extended their lead when Nick Caraway went up over two defenders to grab an offensive rebound and sank a short jumper, making the score 21-17 at halftime.
The Warriors reduced the lead to two early in the third quarter when Parker hit a pair of free throws at the 5:40 mark. The Highlanders responded with a 9-0 run, sparked by a Smith jumper from eight feet. Attempting to rally, Austin Stines knocked down a shot from the left baseline to cut the lead to 30-23. However, Cloudland answered with seven straight points, going up by 14. Uriah Jarrett led the charge with eight points in the decisive third period.
Although trailing, the Warriors kept fighting. Colby Cash hit a 3-pointer to cut Cloudland’s lead to five at the 3:31 mark of the final period. The Highlanders slowed the game down with disciplined perimeter play. Cass Turbyfill came off the bench to provide a crucial bucket, pushing the lead to 12 at 46-34. Despite foul trouble late in the game, Cloudland’s bench players held off the Warriors for the win.
Parker led the Warriors with 12 points. However, Happy Valley missed opportunities at the free-throw line, going just 12-for-37. The Highlanders were led by Jarrett, who scored 12 points, while Smith added 11.
After the game, Coach McClain reflected on the experience gained by his young team. “We are so young we have to learn to punch back when we get punched,” McClain said. “Learning to win means getting punched in the mouth but punching back—it’s part of the process.”
Girls varsity – Highlanders 51, Warriors 8
A dominant Cloudland defense flexed its muscle in an overwhelming performance, rolling past the Lady Warriors. The Lady Highlanders’ press forced multiple turnovers, leading to points in transition.
Makinna Shell led Cloudland with 17 points, while MaKenzie Street added nine. Nine different Lady Highlanders scored in the contest as Coach Matt Birchfield gave his reserves valuable minutes. Senior Cayden Anderson scored six points in the loss for the Lady Warriors.
After the game, Coach Birchfield praised his team’s defensive intensity. “A lot of depth tonight—we played 10 kids with just tenacious defense,” Birchfield said. “We have to play that up-tempo way with strong effort. When we play that intense on defense, it gets our offense going.”
